


Regeneration

by kelex



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-01-16
Packaged: 2018-01-09 00:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelex/pseuds/kelex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regeneration changes some things, but not everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Regeneration

Though she'd never actually say anything to the Doctor, sometimes she _really_ missed his ears. He was a bit sensitive about things like that, the ears, the hair, the hand. So obsessed with the hair; "Am I ginger?" "Is that the kind of man I am now, rude and not ginger?"

But the ears were loads of fun; she could creep up and flick them, and God, he hated that. Made him threaten to drop her off in the salt swamps of Haxividalocorus once. Course he didn't do it; they actually ended up spending three days on Haxi's lovely purple coral beaches. Still had fun winding him up, though.

They were also good for catching whispers; he'd saved her life more than once by hearing her when a human wouldn't have. Granted, he could still do it now, but only because they were so attuned to each other.

They were _especially_ good for biting. Rose _especially_ enjoyed the biting; a single sharp nip was good for an hour or so of being the sole focus of the Doctor's attention. And that could be… intense.

On the up side, there was the hair. It wasn't ginger, but it _was_ soft, and wild, and a little fluffy. And _very_ good for skritching. Now that the ears were gone, the hair was almost as good a distraction. 

And oh, nothing was better than losing herself in a book, reaching out, and running her fingers through the unruly mop. A close second was the contented sigh the Doctor gave when she did that.

It didn't occur to her to think it might be strange, the Doctor just leaning quietly against her knees, eyes closed. But she loved it just the same. The hair, the ears, the eyes, the hands, even the voice. Everything was different, but he was still her Doctor. 

It was in the way he touched her that proved he was the same Doctor. Hand in hand, a tight clasp as if he's afraid he might lose her, but carefully as though he knows he could hurt her. Trusting, knowing that her hand will always be there for him to clasp.

It was the same when they were in bed together. When the Doctor slept, he reached for Rose like he knew she would be there, always be there. And his dreams were terrible; he claimed not to remember them but their violence woke her up. Many nights she cradled him in her arms, soothing him back to sleep. 

The new hair helped with that, because the gentle stroking seemed to soothe him as much as her quiet whispers used to.

She missed the ears, adored the hair… and loved the Doctor.

\- Fin


End file.
